Conflicts

Act 1

Scene One: Friday morning

Introduces conflict related to the economic situation family is in. Shown by the minor conflict with school money for Travis and the conflicting views between Ruth and Walter in raising their child. Leads to conflict and inability to connect between Ruth and Walter in the morning (scrambled eggs) and Ruth’s reluctance to support Walter in his business ideas. Also shown by living conditions: sharing room, Travis on living room couch, and sharing of bathrooms with neighbors. Shows dreams of every character (Beneatha - medical school, Lena - garden, Ruth - provide for Travis, Walter - liquor store) and how money would help in achieving those goals.

Summary of conflict act1 sc1:

Conflict over how Lena’s insurance money is going to be spent by Walter. Walter insists that Ruth help him convince Lena to spend it on investing the liquor store, and Ruth and Beneatha understand that is ultimately Lena’s money.

Conflict over Beneatha’s love life and possible spouse, George.

Conflict in Ruth’s health/well-being. She faints.

Scene Two: The following morning

Beneatha starts liking Joseph Asagai. Conflict about revealing Ruth’s two-month pregnancy is developed; Lena questions where another child is going to live in an already crowded apartment. Lena has “never been wrong ‘bout a woman neither” and she suspects that Ruth has not gone to a regular doctor, but one that specializes in abortion. Conflict continues to build regarding Walter’s liquor store. Asagai gives Beneatha the Nigerian robe, and says about her hair “ you wear it well, very well mutilated hair and all”. Walter says “WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAY?” “it (money) is life, mama!) further intensifying conflict regarding how Lena’s insurance money will be spent.

sc2 conflict summary:

Familial pressure for Beneatha to marry into money v. her true love Asagai

Financial pressure on how to support another baby in an already crowded house

Intensification of conflict in how insurance money will be spent

Act 2

Scene One: Later, the same day

George and Beneatha go on a date, but George keeps making fun of Beneatha for her Nigerian dress while Beneatha confidently defends herself by saying that it’s “natural”. Walter annoys George as Walter tries to be formal with business issues because of the financial problems regarding the liquor store. Ruth and Walter try to work out their conflict since they don’t seem to connect as much anymore. They resolve their conflict by talking through it. Lena resolves the conflict of what to do with the insurance money by buying a house in Clybourne Park, which also resolves a lot of the other characters’ dreams because Lana wanted to start a garden and Ruth wanted to get out of the house. Ruth’s joy of her dream being fulfilled is when she says, “HALLELUJAH! AND GOODY-BYE MISERY.” Walter seems to be sullen about this and further deepened into the conflict that no one believes or listens to him. This is seen when he says, “So you butchered up a dream of mine.”

act2 sc1 conflict summary:

Internal conflict within Beneatha regarding how she should display her heritage

intense familial conflict because Lena decided to buy house, sacrificing Walter’s dream of opening a store to fulfill Ruth’s dream of buying a new house.

Scene Two: Friday Night, a few weeks later

George and Beneatha continue to conflict because they aren’t really connecting with each other since George wanted to be involved in emotions. He says, “I want you to cut it out--the moody stuff.” George only wanted to get a degree, nothing related with thoughts. Beneatha insists that she “loves to talk”. When Beneatha comes back home, she explains to Lena that she doesn’t really like George, and Lena says, “I guess you better not waste your time with no fools.” The conflict is resolved because Beneatha says, “Thank you for understanding me this time.” Mrs. Johnson creates and intensified another conflict, one that Lena has created with the purchase of the house in Clybourne park. Johnson believes that the Youngers will be bombed: “Negroes invade Clybourne park - Bombed” was what Johnson thinks the next headline will be. Walter loses his way because he hasn’t shown up to work for three days, and Mrs. Arnold calls, saying that if Walter doesn’t show up, he will lose his job. The conflict is resolved when Lena gives Walter $6500 to help him set up a liquor store. Lena fixes his mindset by saying, “I ain’t never stop trusting you. Like I ain’t never stop loving you.” Walter has sudden change in attitude and resolution for his conflict adds to happiness when talking to his son, saying, “And I hand you the world.”

act 2 sc2 conflict summary:

Walter becomes depressed that his dream has been taken away from him and doesn’t show up for work. Lena resolves this problem by giving him the 6500 $ left over after the down payment on the new house.

Scene Three: Moving day, one week later

With resolution of many conflicts, everyone is happier. Walter and Ruth has just gone out for a date. Everything is packed up, ready for the move. As the new neighbors orientation committee “welcomes” them, Lindner says, “we are prepared to make your family a very generous offer...to buy the house from you at a financial gain.” The conflict that Lindner brings up is quickly resolved because they don’t even tell Lena what has happened, and they continue to give presents which further gives a sense that the conflicts are resolved. The family enriches Lena’s dream by giving her gardening tools and Travis an “elaborate wide gardening hat.” Another conflict quickly arises when Bobo arrives--without Willy. Bobo reveals to Walter that Willy has taken the money: “When a cat take off with your money, he don’t leave you with no road maps.” All of the sudden, the conflicts start coming back because Walter even used Beneatha’s school money. Lena’s strong composure has be broken, seen in her broken and repeated phrases.

act2 sc3 conflict summary:

Walter finds out Willy has absconded with his (and Beneatha’s ) moneyAct 3

Scene One: An hour later

Asagai continues to court Ruth “Have I told you how deeply you move me?” Asagai learns about the stolen money and realizes that Ruth has lost her focus in life. This marks the start of the internal conflict within Beneatha; she stops caring about her dream of becoming a doctor because she has lost hope after Walter gave away the money. Asagai asks her “And you’ve stopped caring?” And Beneatha replies “Yes, I think so...it was a child’s way of seeing things-- or an idealist’s” Asagai then attempts to comfort her saying that “children see things very well sometimes--and idealists even better”. Beneatha rejects this and Asagai’s quest for independence from colonialism. She shows that she has become disenfranchised with society by saying “independence and then what? what about all the crooks and thieves and just plain idiots who will come into power and steal and plunder the same as before...WHAT ABOUT THEM!?” This shows that Beneatha has lost faith in society after Willie stole the money. Asagai continues to be a guiding figure for Beneatha, constantly comforting her; saying “ isn’t there something wrong in a house --in a world--where all dreams, good or bad, must depend on the death of a man?” Asagai then invites Beneatha to go to Nigeria with him to teach her Nigerian heritage that she lost in America. “I will show you our mountains and our stars; and give you cool drinks from gourds and teach you the old songs and the ways of our people”

Walter then decides to call “the Man” Mr. Lindner, to “ do business with him” and take the money instead of moving into Clybourne Park. This decision meets resistance from mama “you making something inside me cry, son” , Beneatha “ Oh! God, where is the bottom?!”, but Walter is resolute, declaring “I am a man--and I think that my wife should wear some pearls in this world”. Beneatha criticizes Walter for his decision and derides him as a “toothless rat” and “no brother of mine”. When the moving people and Lindner arrive; mama makes Travis witness what his father is about to do (sell out to the white people) . This is when Walter changes his mind and says that “we have decided to move into our house because my father--my father-- had earned it for us brick by brick. This is essentially the resolution of the conflict regarding the new house; the family comes together against Lindner and everything he stands for “Let’s get the hell out of here” “ain’t that the truth”. Family joins together in uncertain times- into the unknown future.

act3 conflict summary

Beneatha becomes distraught at the loss of her school money and losses faith in society.

Family turns against Walter for selling out to Lindner, but at the last second the family bands together and decides to move into their new house despite the unknowns.